Morning Commute with the Lord
Living in Yokosuka and working in Yokohama, I commute by foot and train a considerable amount. In fact, in my 5.5 years working at YCS, I’ve commuted over a thousand hours (sorry, I like math). All of that commuting time, however, is not a waste. I catch up on emails and messages. I read. I pray. I think and listen to what the Lord may put on my heart. This blog will take you on some of those commutes with me to see how God uses these in-between times to remind me of His love and faithfulness.
Walking to school one day, I noticed some vines covering a large cement retaining wall. To me, the area looked messy. Maybe it was because recently I had spent hours clearing out vines from my own yard. I remember thinking that those vines on the retaining wall should be cleared out as well. The cement by itself would look better than this mess. Day after day, I would look at the vines and repeat my same judgement over the wall. Then one day, I looked at the wall of vines and noticed something different. It stopped me in my tracks. Flowers were blooming. Beautiful, vibrant, purple morning glories celebrated nature in this urban landscape. God’s beauty was alive. I was humbled. I got choked up. All this time I thought the vines were a waste, when in reality, they were preparing for their time to bloom. The Lord reminded me of my students. Sometimes teaching is messy. It can be tempting to wish the problems away. But the students are growing–growing in ways that I can’t fully perceive. I teach for their bloom. I can’t wait to see how the Lord works in their lives.
I was so moved by the flowers that I immediately took a picture of the scene. I knew this would be an awesome sermon illustration, so I resolved to take a picture of the same area later in the year when the flowers were not in bloom so I could have before and after pictures. Finally the time came where I could take a picture of the bare vines.
As I took the picture, a man walked in front of me and gave me a not-so-pleasant look. I thought no one was around when I took the picture but must have missed him. This sour interaction gave me an unpleasant feeling about the place. I wondered, why did the man seem upset. I found out the next day when I walked past the area and noticed a sign that displayed a camera with a red line through it. No pictures allowed! I don’t know how I missed it all those months before. Plus, there was no using my lack of Japanese skills as an excuse as to why didn’t know. I had broken a rule, and I did it right in front of a worker of the area. What a blunder. Now my casual commute would become a dreadful dash through that area to avoid the worker. I did not like that feeling one bit.
I had to do something about it. Remembering what Jesus taught, I needed to confess my sins and repent. I wrestled with how to do it. I don’t speak Japanese. I didn’t know the man. It would be awkward. I asked my children what to do. They urged me not to talk to the man, just avoid him, and forget the situation. It would be the best short-term choice, but I knew in the long run that I would not be able to let go of the guilt. I had to apologize to the worker (and be a good example for my children). I wrote out my apology in Google Translate on the train ride to school. I prayed as I walked towards the area. My heart was pounding, but I knew what I had to do. I came closer and saw the man working on something near a doorway. I could have walked past without him noticing, but I knew I had to be like Joshua and be strong and courageous. I said, “Sumimasen.” He looked up at me. There was no turning back now. I proceeded to read off my phone in broken Japanese what I had done and why it was wrong. The man listened attentively but a little concerned. Then I got to the part where I apologized and told him I would not do it again. That’s when something changed. The man’s face cracked a smile–not just any smile but a smile that genuinely showed no hard feelings. After he said no problem in Japanese, I bowed and thanked him, smiled, and continued to school feeling 1000 pounds lighter. The chains of shame and unforgiveness were broken. What a gift from the Lord! Now, on my commute, the worker and I smile and say hi to each other almost every morning. I’ve even met his granddaughter to whom I also smile and wave. I now have an encouraging relationship in my life that may have never been. This is the culture of Jesus. This is how they will know we are Christians, by our love. Being strong and courageous brought victory that day. Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful gift.
Looking forward to more morning commutes with the Lord.
